Scenes From A Marriage
by ScarletCourt
Summary: aka Kennash ABCs. An anthology of Kennash short stories depicting various scenes from the marriage of Kenna and Bash - past, present and future spec. Chapter 26: Z is for Zenith
1. A is for Affection

**A/N:** I need another fic like I need a hole in the head, but this little idea jumped out at me after I read a similar ABC fic in another fandom recently and just wouldn't let go. Since there has been so little Kennash in the new season, I'm hoping that this will fill a little of that gap. It's a smorgasbord of short fics. There's fluff, hurt/comfort, angst, spec, missing scene, humour, etc., in amongst the chapters. All chapters will be between 300+ to 700+ words in length.

Thanks very much to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**A is for Affection**

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" asked Bash, lying against the pillows. Kenna was about to start her day when he spoke up.

Kenna turned and smiled at her husband, puzzled. "What's brought this on?"

"Nothing," said Bash, smiling. "I was just admiring your profile when you sat up and realized that I'd never told you how much you mean to me."

She blushed at the sentiment. "I think you show me that nearly every night."

"I know." He was grinning. "But I don't often tell you I love you."

"Nonetheless, I know," said Kenna, caressing his face. "And I love you, too." She leaned in for a kiss. "I best get started on my day. The servants will be bringing breakfast shortly."

Bash took her hand. "Perhaps we can continue this conversation later tonight."

"Certainly," she said, smiling at him. "You can tell me how much you love me anytime."

* * *

><p>Kenna was surprised to find the words Bash said to her that morning affected her more than she had expected. Over the years, many men had paid her many compliments but few offered her love. Henry had said it on occasion but it had been usually after he had taken his fill. Until now, no man had said he'd loved her without having just taken or wanting something from her. Her father wasn't terribly affectionate and her brothers thought of her just as a playmate.<p>

While Bash was caring, kind and considerate, he didn't often speak of his love for her. Since he first professed it several months ago, the night his father died, he'd only told her on several other occasions. Kenna found she'd replay the whole scene in her head occasionally as she went about her day, which brought a smile to her face each time.

After dinner, they had attended a concert given in honour of the new King and Queen. Afterward, when they were walking toward their bedchamber, Bash asked, "Should we take a turn on the balcony?"

Kenna nodded and they took the corridor. The silence continued until they reached the open air. While this wasn't their private balcony, it was tonight. They only shared it with two of their neighbours and both were currently at their respective estates.

Looking out into the courtyard, Bash spoke up. "I meant what I said this morning." He turned to look at her. "I love you so very much. You mean everything to me. I'm sorry I don't say it more often."

She turned to him. "I love you very much, too. You've shown me that we can have a very happy life together after a disastrous beginning. You mean more to me than I can profess."

He then pulled her in for a kiss. It wasn't a kiss brought on by physical attraction, but rather a kiss of love and deep affection. He poured his being into the kiss. When they finally parted, he pulled her into an embrace and held her for a long while.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. Would **love** to know what you think if you have a moment to review. Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	2. B is for Beautiful

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all the reviews. I loved everyone of them. :) This one is a future spec fic. There are a number of those in the collection and they should all tie into one another.

_**KennashLover**_ - Just wanted to thank you for the prompt. Though it won't fall in this collection, I'll have to write it out at some point. :)

Thanks very much to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**B is for Beautiful**

"She's so beautiful," said Bash, holding his newborn daughter. "Just like her mother." The baby shifted in her sleep, making her father grip her tighter causing her to fuss.

"Relax, Bash," said Kenna, lying in bed after an exhausting three day labour. "I know you've held babies before. Don't hold her so tightly. You won't drop her." The baby started to fuss some more.

Unable to take his eyes off the small bundle in his arms, he said, "But I've never held our baby before." He did, however, relax his grip a little and his daughter stopped fussing immediately and yawned.

"Our baby is like any other baby," said Kenna, rolling her eyes. "Hold her securely, but not tightly." She then yawned, too.

"How are you feeling?" asked Bash, who suddenly remembered that his wife had survived the ordeal.

"Tired and sore," said Kenna rubbing her eyes. "The midwife gave me a tea for the pain so it doesn't hurt nearly as much as when I was pushing her out. She is worth it though."

"She certainly is," said Bash, holding out a pinky for his daughter to grip. "She has a strong grip." Sitting down on the bed beside Kenna, he showed her how the baby was gripping his finger. "Excellent grip for a bow."

Kenna shook her head and chuckled. "Already considering her first archery lesson?"

"It's never too early to start learning," said Bash with a grin. Since he had been told that mother and baby were well, he felt like he couldn't stop grinning. "She's the daughter of Horse and Hunt. She'll need to know how to do both."

"Good luck," said Kenna and a second yawn escaped her. "I'm sorry. I'm suddenly very tired."

"That's alright," said Bash, quickly glancing at his wife. "Get some rest. You've just given birth. I'll look after the baby on the other side of the room. I'll call for the nursery maid if she needs anything."

"If she starts turning to the side and opening her mouth, bring her to me," said Kenna, settling in bed. "That means she's hungry and I'll have to nurse her. She should be fine for the next few hours though, I nursed her before they went to tell you."

Bash leaned down and kissed Kenna on the forehead. "We can discuss names further after you've had some rest. I love you."

"I love you, too," said Kenna before drifting off to sleep.

Bash walked over to the other half of the room where a number of candles were lit. Settling down on the rocking chair, he started to get to know this little bundle he and Kenna had made.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. This short was probably the easiest to write out of all of them, but then I was inspired by a lovely manip my dear friend, the amazing and talented, _**piperholmes**_, made for me that you can find here: scarletcourt. tumblr com post /97931006533 /piperholmes-shes-so-tiny-he-laughed-his (removing all the spaces and adding a dot before 'com' and a / before 'post').

I'd **love** to know what you think if you have a moment to review. Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	3. C is for Comfort

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all the favorites, follows and the beautiful review from _**Mrs Margaret**_ (This site won't let me put the dot between your name :P). This is an S1 fic, so it would fit into the past category.

Thanks very much to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**C is for Comfort**

Kenna was wracked by a long coughing fit that woke her. She opened her eyes to find Bash sitting on a chair beside the bed. After a couple more coughs, she asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you were preparing to go find The Darkness again."

Bash moved to sit on the bed beside her and handed her a handkerchief to wipe her mouth. "I've been here for a few hours now. We were about to leave when Elise came to tell me that you were faring badly, so I came to check on you and found you feverish and it was then that I decided to delay the expedition."

"But you received word of a sighting yesterday," said Kenna, partially feeling guilty that he postponed the expedition for her, but mostly glad that he was here. Another coughing fit took hold.

Once she had quieted down again, Bash continued, "I couldn't leave you ill like this. Elise has been here as well. I just sent her to bed a half hour ago." He then reached over for the cup of water on the table and handed it to her.

"Thank you," said Kenna after she drank some of the water. "I was parched."

Bash nodded. "I brought Nostradamus to see you earlier, and he suggested cold compresses to the forehead and provided some powder and a draught for when you woke. He also said that this cough is a graver manifestation of the cold I had last week, so I'm immune. I'm sorry you caught my cold while you were caring for me."

She waved her hand in dismissal. "I'd likely have caught the cold from some other source." After she handed the cup back to Bash, she moved some pillows to sit up and take her medication. "What should I take first? The powder or the draught?

"Nostradamus suggested the powder then the draught," said Bash, carefully pouring the minute grains from the envelope onto a teaspoon. "Take this and follow it with some water. It ought help cool your fever."

When Kenna placed the spoon in her mouth, she grimaced at the taste and quickly took the cup that Bash offered her and drank until she drained it. Making another face, Kenna gave the spoon and the cup back to Bash before succumbing to another bout of coughing. Once it subsided, she said, "That was horrible! Tell me the draught will be better."

"I could, but it wouldn't be true," said her husband, feeling helpless. "He did say that it will help with the cough so you ought to rest better." Bash poured another cup of water for Kenna before handing her both it and the medicinal liquid. "Drink it quickly and at least the taste won't linger."

"Easy for you to say," said Kenna before she drained the draught and the cup of water. "Another cup, please."

Before Bash could refill the cup, Kenna was coughing again. When she was finished coughing, Bash handed her the second cup of water. "Here, this should help. Nostradamus said he would come to check on you in the morning."

Kenna nodded, grateful for the cool liquid. She sipped it slowly.

Bash reached over and curled a wayward hair behind her ear. "Would you like some food? A little soup perhaps? Elise mentioned that you hadn't eaten since luncheon."

"Yes, please," said Kenna in a whisper, in hopes of not causing another coughing fit.

Bash walked over to the fireplace where he had placed the crock of soup to keep it warm. Ladling some out into a bowl, he placed it on a breakfast tray with legs which he brought to his wife. "Here you are. Would you like me to feed you?"

"No, but I would like you to sit beside me while I eat," whispered Kenna, patting his side of the bed. "You can tell me all about your preparations for the expedition."

That's exactly what Bash did. Once Kenna finished her soup, she was feeling sleepy again. Bash offered to sleep on the sofa so that she could have the bed to herself, but Kenna would have none of it. "Since you're immune, I'd feel better if you could hold me while I fell asleep."

"Of course, if that's what you wish," said Bash unable to deny his wife. After he undressed, he slid under the bedclothes and held Kenna until she was in quiet slumber.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. **Please do review if you have a moment to spare or thoughts to share.** :)

This was the first of the chapters that I wrote that broke the 300+ word barrier I had set for myself originally, so you can blame the cold/cough for the longer chapters. ;) If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	4. D is for Devotion

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews. No matter what they say, they nourish a writer's soul. This is an S2 fic so it could be considered a present or near future one.

_**Oki:**_ I'll have to work your prompt into an ever expanding follow up to this fic. Thanks!

_**haley:**_ D is indeed for Devotion. :) Hope you like it.

**_Lily:_** Thanks for your lovely review. I'll add your prompt for a prequel of Kenna caring for Bash when he had his cold to a new collection that I will have to work on once I'm done with this one. :)

Thanks very much to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**D is for Devotion**

Bash is in another town in a different part of the country fighting the Protestants. At night, his men wander to find ladies of the night to comfort them, but he remains in camp with a few who are standing guard. In years past, he would have gone with the wandering ones, happy to take what pleasure was on offer for the night. Now that he's married to someone he loves deeply, he's not interested in anyone who is not his wife. How he has changed.

Staring into the camp, he imagines Kenna there with him. The camp was certainly not up to her standards, but nonetheless in his mind's eye, he conjures her image, organizing the camp just as she organizes their quarters and their household. What he would do to have her by his side now.

Thinking back, Bash recalls that at first, being married to Kenna was difficult since he was married to someone he didn't much like, and painful since his wife wasn't the one he loved. Now with nearly a year of marriage under his belt, there is no one else good enough for him. After he is certain that the camp is secure, he makes his bed and falls asleep dreaming of her.

* * *

><p>Kenna is wandering the lonely halls of the castle while Bash is away again to fight the Protestants. She has her duties as one of Mary's Ladies-in-Waiting, but the nights are much too solitary for her liking. Some, seeing that her husband is away, have tried to flirt with her in hopes of luring her into their bed. It would be a notch on their belt to have slept with one of King Henry's mistresses. In the past, she would have flirted back, eager to be in the attentions of a noble. Now, she couldn't be bothered to do more than to barely smile back.<p>

When she walks into their bedchamber, she imagines him there, polishing and sharpening his weapons or reviewing some law in the books. Back home, her father and brothers have done the same, but she never took more than a passing notice. However with Bash, it is different. His presence is comforting. His absence is keenly felt.

Looking back, Kenna remembers that first night with Bash. Having been ceremoniously handed over to this man like an object. She cried bitterly that night, having had her marriage prospects obliterated on the whim of a mad man to his inconvenient bastard with a hastily made up title with no wealth and no lands. Now having been wed for some time, she can't help but wonder where her husband is and what he is doing at this very moment. He has become the only one on her mind, the only concern on her heart. She knows that what he does is important work, and she waits patiently at home for his return.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. **Please do review if you have a moment to spare or thoughts to share.** :)

I decided to try a different format to convey devotion. If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	5. E is for Elation

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews. I love everyone of them. I've replied to those who have a PM-able account. This is a near future spec fic.

**_haley:_** So glad you're still enjoying it.

**_Guest:_** Thank you so much!

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**E is for Elation**

"Kenna!" said Bash, entering their bedchamber in a rush. "We have an estate!"

"What?" asked Kenna, rising from her chair where she was embroidering. "How? There weren't any estates within a two-day ride of the castle three months ago."

"There wasn't until last month when last member of an old barony passed of natural causes," said Bash with a grin. "Francis has been on the look out on our behalf when this came up."

"That's wonderful!" Kenna threw herself at Bash, enveloping him in a hug. Kenna had been worried about the prospect of a new home. Bash had assured her that Francis would come through with a solution. "Where is it? How much land is it? How big is the house?"

"One question at a time," said Bash, chuckling. Moving to the table, he pulled out a map and unfolded it there. "It's two days ride southwest of here." Bash pointed out the location of the estate. "It's not very large, only about eight hundred acres, but there are thirty tenant families who work the land and a prosperous village on the northeast corner." Bash pulled out a map of the estate showing the land and the position of the house and the village. "The house as I understand it is slightly smaller than our old house, but richly furnished and ready for us to move in." Looking at her he added, "Though I'm certain you'll want to redecorate it to your own tastes."

"So when can we visit?" asked Kenna eagerly. "I want to put my own mark in our home. I didn't even have the chance to decorate the last one before it was burned down."

"How about a week from now?" asked her husband. "I have some business to deal with for the remainder of the week."

"That would be lovely," said Kenna, smiling broadly. "That would give me time to consider some available fabrics for new curtains before we go."

"A home of our own," said Bash, smiling at his wife. "Hopefully, we'll actually have a chance to occupy this one together."

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. **Please do review if you have a moment to spare or thoughts to share.** :)

I've started working on some of the prompts, but I have a cold and don't have the energy to finish them.

Sorry this one is so short. They were all supposed to be this length and then some of them got away. :P If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	6. F is for Flirting

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews. I smile each time one shows up in my inbox. This can be a past or present fic.

**_haley:_** Thank you for the pun! :D Unfortunately, F is for Flirting, but I agree that couples should be the best of friends, too, so I'll work on a friendship short for you after I finish with this collection.

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**F is for Flirtation**

Kenna and Bash are at a banquet given by the King and Queen and they are seated at different tables across the room. Despite sitting at different tables, their eye contact remains constant throughout the evening. It's almost as if they can feel the other's eyes and turn to meet that gaze. A smile is shared before they are distracted again by their conversation partners at their table.

After the dinner, there is dancing and conversation. Kenna is initially grouped with Mary and the other ladies-in-waiting and Bash is grouped with other men. When the men walk past the women, Bash ensures that he walks right past Kenna, who holds out her hand to him and he squeezes and caresses it briefly before Kenna looks over to watch him walk past and he glances back. A smile is shared before the men walk out of view.

When he comes to collect her at the end of the night to return to their bedchamber, she quickly says goodnight to her companions and takes his arm. He places his hand over hers and caresses it. "I missed you tonight," says Bash. "The banquet felt endless when you were sitting across the room."

"I missed you, too," says Kenna with a smile for him. "I'm not quite ready for bed yet. What do you say if we were to take a turn in the gardens for some air?"

"I'd like that," says Bash, who yearns to kiss her after all the flirtation between them throughout the night.

After some conversation in the quiet, cool air of the garden, Bash just pulls his wife in for a kiss. He doesn't care who sees them. Her soft lips melds against his seeking, probing, flirting. When they finally part, Bash places his forehead on hers and whispers, "I've been wanting to do that all evening. You don't know what your flirting does to me." He then pulls her in for another kiss and they stay out in the gardens for longer than either anticipate.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. **Please do review if you have a moment to spare or thoughts to share.** :)

Sorry for another short one. If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	7. G is for Gracious

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all the reviews. I will reply to those who have an account after I post because I just remembered that I have a very long day tomorrow and 2x08 is on for me later tonight (Wed) since I live in Canada. This is my attempt a slight bit of humour. :P It's I guess now a recent past fic. It was a present fic when I wrote the first draft.

**_haley:_** I'll definitely add some flirting in the Friendship fic for you and maybe some dancing as well. :)

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**G is for Gracious**

"Trumps and I'm out," said Bash. With a flourish, he deposited his last card onto the pile with a grin.

Mary and Francis were away on a visit to Lorraine, Burgundy and Savoy, so Kenna decided to invite the other ladies-in-waiting to their quarters for an evening of cards.

"Again?" said Lola, surprised. "That's it. I'm done for the night. I have to go check on John." Lola put her cards down and rose from the table. As a common courtesy, Bash stood up.

"I'm out, too," said Greer, placing her cards on the table. "I'm visiting Aloysius tomorrow to check on my bedchamber at the estate and I need an early start."

"Must you both leave at once?" asked Kenna, who rose from the table after Greer.

"It was fun, but I have to feed John before I burst," said Lola, who kissed Kenna and Bash on the cheek in turn and gathered her things. "Maybe we can do it again before Mary and Francis return."

"I can host when I return on Thursday," said Greer, putting on her shawl. "After I'm married, who knows when I'll be at the castle next."

"That would be lovely," said Kenna, walking her friends to the door.

"Thank you for coming," said Bash from where he was, while the others were leaving.

As soon as Kenna closed the door, she turned to her husband and raised her eyebrow. "Did you have to win so many games?" Bash was a bit of a card shark as Kenna discovered after she played strip piquet with him one rainy afternoon a few months into their marriage.

"What?" asked Bash, throwing his hands up. "I could have won them all, but I was being a gracious host."

"You call winning the last three hands of the night, gracious?" asked Kenna, gathering up the cards to pack away.

"I won a total of five games out of twenty," said Bash, moving the chairs to where they belonged. "I call that even."

Kenna rolled her eyes while she helped Bash move the table back to where it normally stood. "Haven't you heard of being a gentleman?"

"I'm a bastard," said Bash, grinning. "I don't have to be."

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. **Please do review if you have a moment to spare or thoughts to share.** :)

Piquet is actually a French card game from the 15th/16th Century based on my research, but strip piquet is something I made up. Call it artistic license. :P If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	8. H is for Holiday

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all the reviews. I'm always thrilled when one pops into my inbox. :) Again I will reply to those who have an account after I post because I just remembered that I have another long day tomorrow and in fact I will be busy both tomorrow and Saturday so I likely won't be able to post the next one until Sunday. This is a present or near future fic. Cousin John in this fic is the same Cousin John who appears in my Kenna and Bash like to Bicker tumblr (kennashbickering . tumblr . com - with the spaces removed).

_**Nine of Hearts:**_ If you wouldn't mind telling me how you would like the continuation of this one to go, that would be fantastic because all I can see is them going to bed afterward. Is that what you're looking for?

**_haley:_** Thank you! I just hope I won't disappoint. :/

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**H is for Holiday**

"I received a note from my mother this morning," said Bash, when they were getting ready for a private dinner with the King and Queen. "She'd like to see us in Paris for Christmas." He was trying to be as nonchalant as possible since he knows that Kenna and his mother were not the best of friends.

"Must we?" asked Kenna, making a face while she looked at her husband through the mirror.

"I thought you wanted us to go on a holiday?" asked Bash. Kenna had been begging him to take some time off and go somewhere together after yet another excursion for Francis as the King's Deputy.

"I do," said Kenna, wistfully. "But I didn't want to spend it all at your mother's."

"She only wants us to spend a few days at Christmas," said Bash, hoping to cajole. "If I can take two weeks off, there's no reason we couldn't go elsewhere after we visit my mother."

"Could we spend a few days in Paris without your mother?" asked Kenna. "And then maybe head east to the Holy Roman Empire?"

"My mother probably has a number of gatherings over the holidays to attend on her own," said Bash, gesturing with his hand. "So we'll probably left to our own devices for the rest of the week. To save some money, we could stay with my mother for the week and go see other sights in Paris while she's otherwise occupied. I don't think we'll have sufficient time to travel to the Holy Roman Empire, but we could visit my cousins in Bernay."

"Are you certain you're up to visiting your Cousin John?" asked Kenna with a teasing tone. Kenna had met his cousin previously and they had hit it off so well that Bash was jealous for a time. Kenna never wasted an opportunity to remind him.

Bash sighed. "As it happens, John will also be at my mother's at Christmas, so the two of you can chat all about the gossip of Paris. After that, we can visit my other cousins in Bernay."

Kenna instantly perked up. "That's wonderful! Christmas at your mother's won't be boring after all."

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. **Please do review if you have a moment to spare or thoughts to share.** :)

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic. See you all on Sunday! :)

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	9. I is for Irate

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews. :) They are very much appreciated. This is a present fic.

**_haley:_** There is a bit of a continuation in a later chapter for H is for Holiday, so look out for it.

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**I is for Irate**

"Why did you tell Lady Laurent that I would take up her case?" asked Bash, with a glare. Kenna had been in their bedchamber embroidering when Bash found her.

"You are the King's Deputy," said Kenna, dropping the hoop on the bed and throwing up her hands. "It's your job to enforce the laws."

"Her issue was that her neighbour built a fence on the property line," said Bash, leaning forward, pointing his finger in the direction of the Laurent estate. "I don't have the hours in a day to deal with petty claims when I've got Catholics and Protestants waging war across the country." His voice grew in volume as he spoke.

"Can't you just rule in her favour?" asked Kenna, exasperated.

"No, I cannot," said Bash, emphasizing every syllable. "The job of the King's Deputy is to enforce the laws and the laws are not in her favour. Her neighbour has every right to build a fence on the property line."

"But it now obstructs her view of the river!" She shot back. "Doesn't that count for anything?"

Bash closed his eyes and sighed before counting to ten and answering. "Actually, no, it does not," he said in a firm voice. "She was afforded that view because her neighbour had not erected a fence until now. The view she had previously was by the grace of her neighbour. If her shepherd hadn't grazed her sheep on her neighbour's flowerbed and blueberries, she might still have that view."

"Wait!" Kenna furrowed her brow. "She told me some wild animals ate the flowers."

"No, it was her sheep," said Bash. "The neighbour saw her shepherd direct the sheep to the flowers himself."

"Oh," said Kenna, deflated. "I'm sorry."

"Kenna, you need to stop telling people what I will or will not do," said Bash, pulling her into an embrace. "I know you mean well, but I need to weigh all the facts before I can take on a case."

"Alright, I promise to stop taking cases on your behalf," said Kenna, looking away at first before hazarding a glance. "Forgive me?"

"How can I not, when your intentions were good," said Bash. He then pulled her in for a kiss.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. I hope it was worth the wait. We are now at the 1/3 mark. **What do you think?**

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	10. J is for Jealous

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites and follows. :) They are all very much appreciated. This is either a recent past or recent future fic not sure which.

**_haley:_** Kenna can't help but help. :P

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**J is for Jealous**

"Bash?" asked Kenna casually one morning from her dressing table. "Who was the girl I saw you speaking with at the celebration last night?" Her words were obviously not casual, but Bash was oblivious.

Pulling the last of his boots on, he replied, "She's Lady Annalise. She's the daughter of Lord Constantine near the Spanish border. She requested a meeting this morning, which is why I'm hurrying off." He then walked over to Kenna, giving her a kiss on the head. "I'll see you this evening."

Kenna turned to watch him leave with her eyes narrowing into slits.

* * *

><p>"I wouldn't worry," said Greer, trying desperately not to roll her eyes. "With his job as the King's Deputy, Bash is going to encounter wives and daughters requesting his help." They were taking a walk by the water's edge in front of the Castle so they could ensure privacy.<p>

"I suppose," said Kenna, looking into the distance. "He just seemed distracted last night when we were having sex and he hurried off this morning for a meeting with her before breakfast."

Trying desperately to sound sincere, Greer said with a sigh, "You had sex last night?"

"Twice," said Kenna, matter-of-factly.

Greer turned away from Kenna pretending to look out into the water and rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't worry about it, Kenna." She then steered the conversation to the topic of Leith.

* * *

><p>"Kenna," said Bash, practically bouncing into their bedchamber. "Are you almost ready for the banquet this evening?" He had a small wrapped box behind his back.<p>

"Why should you care when you run off to meetings with girls you meet the previous night?" asked Kenna bitingly. She was putting the final touches into her appearance and looked through her mirror at him.

Bash finally clued in that something was amiss and quickly bit his retort. After a short pause, he spoke. "I care because I was hoping that you'd put this on." He produced the box in front of her, moved her hair aside, and kissed her tenderly on the neck.

Kenna opened it to find an elegant, jeweled comb. "Bash, this is beautiful." She looked up at her husband in the mirror, contrite. A small smile graced her face.

"I was planning to wait until your birthday next week to give it to you," said her husband, looking at her through the mirror. "But when it came in today and I desperately wanted to see it in your hair tonight. That was what my meeting with Lady Annalise was about early this morning. Her father, Lord Constantine, deals in jewels with the Spaniards but was unable to come to court in time to bring this himself, so he sent his daughter."

Putting the box down on her dresser, Kenna turned to Bash and caressed his cheek tenderly. "When we first married, I didn't think I could ever be jealous, but now, I can't stand the thought of losing you to someone else." She then closed the gap and kissed him.

They did make it to the banquet, eventually, and Kenna was wearing the jeweled comb proudly in her hair.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. Sorry about the lag in posting, life is just slightly busy. I love constructive criticism. :) **What do you think?**

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	11. K is for Kindness

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews and the likes and reblogs on tumblr. :) They are all very much appreciated. This is a missing scene fic.

**_haley:_** I'll add a Bash being jealous to the list. I'm actually Canadian. :) If you are American, I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**K is for Kindness**

It was a few weeks into their marriage and Kenna had just retrieved Bash's ring from Penelope. Having agreed to try, they were now sleeping in the same bed, though both were strenuously keeping to their side, leading to the inability to relax and sleep well. They had shared their first kisses earlier that night and this change in their relationship brought new tension in their sleeping arrangements. Upon waking again and no amount of tossing or turning had yielded sleep, Kenna decided to leave the warm bed and take a walk to clear her head.

* * *

><p>The click of the shutting door woke Bash from his sleep. Turning to Kenna's side of the bed, he found it empty, though the bedclothes were still warm indicating that she had just left. It wasn't the first time that Kenna had left their bed in the middle of the night. She was likely going to the balcony nearby to think. He had found her there the last time when she didn't return after an hour. Just as he was about to go back to sleep, Bash noticed that she had forgotten her cloak and the nights were still chilly.<p>

Quickly throwing some clothes and boots on, he took her cloak with him in search of his wife.

* * *

><p>Within a five minutes, he found her shivering by the balcony in just her nightgown, her breath condensing in the cold, sharp air, lost in thought. "You'll catch your death in this cold," he said, holding out her cloak while he approached her.<p>

"Bash!" Kenna turned to find her husband offering her warmth. "What are you doing out of bed?" Bash was kindness itself. He had urged them to try and he didn't push or take what was rightfully his. Now he came looking for her yet again, concerned for her health and comfort.

"I could ask the same of you," he said, enveloping her in her cloak and helping her gain warmth by rubbing her arms to generate heat and in the end, holding her against him with his cloak wrapped around them so that she could gain warmth from his own body.

"I couldn't sleep," she said, looking up at him. "I didn't want to wake you with my tossing and turning. There was no point in both of us being unable to sleep." Being so close to her husband meant that she couldn't help but place her hands on his chest and she fought a desire to reach up and kiss him.

"I know why you can't sleep," he said gently, deciding to broach the elephant in the room. "Now that we're sleeping in the same bed, you're worried that you'll encroach on my side in your sleep. You know you don't have to maintain the boundary." Leaning closer, so that their breaths were intermingling, he added, "You're my wife, we don't have to maintain any boundaries between us." She looked at him and moved slightly closer. He then closed the gap and kissed her.

After the kiss, Bash wanted more than anything to take her to bed and make love to her. Certainly portions of his anatomy were starting to show their support, but he knew that her experience in those matters weren't always good and he didn't want to push her to move any faster than she wanted. "So, shall we return to bed and get some sleep before the morning?"

Feeling better about the whole thing, Kenna just nodded.

The both fell asleep soon after returning to bed, no longer worried about boundaries and woke up in each other's embrace when the morning arrived.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. Sorry about the lag in posting, life is still busy. :( Thank you so much to my regular reviewers. Not sure what I would do without you. **Would also love to hear from those of you who have favorited or followed the story, if you have a moment to spare! Even a word or two would make my day and feed my soul! :)**

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	12. L is for Love

**A/N:** Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews. :) I am so very grateful to the readers who took the time to write them. My cup runneth over. :) This fic is one that starts out as parallels but eventually converges at the end.

**_Guest reviewer:_ **I'm so happy to hear that KB are in character. It's one of the things I really strive for in my writing.

**_haley:_** I hope this one doesn't disappoint!

_**andre garcia:**_ Thank you for your lovely compliment! Brought a huge smile to my face. :)

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**L is for Love**

Bash never thought he could love his wife this much. He had been in love before with Mary and others or so he had thought, but once he had implored Kenna to try being married, he had begun to appreciate her qualities rather than find fault in her and he was surprised by what he had discovered. A strong, vivacious, supportive, loving woman who wasn't afraid to tell him what she thought. She didn't try to impress him. She didn't try to play him either. There was no expectation other than to be who he was.

He also found his equal in bed. At first concerned about her less than good experiences in this arena, he discovered in the fullness of time a woman who was his match in every sense there. Once they consummated their marriage, he found her creativity exhilarating, her love of novelty alluring, and her willingness to take charge arousing.

While he watched her dress for a dinner with the Ambassador from Lorraine, he realized what a partner he had. She was certainly not someone he would have chosen for a wife and yet after all these months, he realized that his mad father couldn't have chosen a better one.

Kenna never thought she could feel so much love for Bash. Other than an initial fleeting thought that he was a gorgeous man when she first laid eyes on him, he made no other impression on her. He was the King's bastard and his mother was a rival as Henry's chief mistress.

For a while, Mary had wanted to marry him to avoid Nostradamus's vision. For a long while even when they had first wed, he had loved Mary. Then something changed, he had defended her against a mad king, he had begun to appreciate her ambition, and he began to trust and appreciate her.

She also discovered to her surprise that he was a most considerate lover, who was always concerned about her wants, her desires, her needs above his own. Before she knew it, she started feeling something for him. At first, it was a sense of appreciation for his consideration. Then, it evolved into appreciation for his body and a wish for his well-being. Eventually, it became an all encompassing love, a connection to another person filled with respect and trust and desire.

While he escorted her to the dinner with the Ambassador from Lorraine, she realized what a partner she had. He was certainly not someone she would have chosen for a husband and yet after all these months, she realized that the mad King couldn't have chosen a better one.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. Very sorry about the lag in posting, but I wanted to get this one up before the new episode airs tomorrow. Thank you so much to my regular reviewers. Not sure what I would do without you. **Please post a word or two of your thoughts if you have a moment to spare.  
><strong>

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	13. M is for Marriage

**A/N:** Thank you for the reviews and the lovely note from _**disremember-me-please**_ on tumblr. I cannot properly convey how much they mean to me with words. They push me to keep going. I hope that you don't hate me for this angst fic featuring character death, especially after what happened on this week's episode.

**_haley:_** So glad you enjoyed the last chapter.

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**M is for Marriage**

"I, Sebastian, take this woman to be my lawful wife under the eyes of God from this day forward," said Bash, in a defeated tone while Kenna cried.

Once Kenna intoned her vow through a veil of tears, they were married. Henry called for a toast, though no one was in the mood, but everyone smiled for his sake and drank. Soon those gathered together for this wedding began to disperse.

Mary was the first of her friends to come forward and hug her, then Lola and Greer immediately followed suit. Her Queen offered her congratulations but it felt like commiseration. Francis offered condolences to his brother privately, knowing that a forced marriage was nothing to be congratulated upon. Lola and Greer lingered and aided a sobbing Kenna to her new abode, where her bed had been shoved into a corner and then they were left alone to start their marriage.

What a farce!

* * *

><p><strong>Many, many years later …<strong>

"There's nothing more we can do but make him comfortable, my lady," said the physician, who had been called after Bash had suffered another attack.

"That can't be," said Kenna, glancing over to where her husband laid, emotions welling up in her while she processed the information. "You must help him."

The physician looked at the elderly woman before him and shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you, doctor," said the man beside Kenna, whom she once cradled in her womb. "I know you did what you could for my father."

"No!" Kenna turned to her son for comfort. "I can't lose him." Their son held her as Bash once did. "What will I do?"

The doctor nodded at the younger man. "It's best if you can gather whomever is nearby to say their goodbyes. I don't know how much longer he has."

The man nodded. "Of course, doctor."

The doctor then returned to his patient.

"Mother," said the man, who looked so much like his father. "Why don't you speak to him while I have the servants summon the others that I can."

"I can't live without him, Frank?" sobbed Kenna, her eyes closed in grief.

"We must all try," said Frank, gravely. "Be brave for him, Mother."

Kenna dried her tears quickly and nodded and then her son was gone. When she walked over to Bash, she finally saw how frail he had become and for the first time, she felt her age as well. She sat down in the chair beside the bed and took his hand into hers. "How are you?"

"I've been better," rasped Bash, trying to smile for his wife.

"Are you comfortable?" asked Kenna, once again putting on the bravado that had seen her through many things over the years.

"Comfortable enough," said Bash, faintly. Not wanting to waste his few precious breath remaining, he said, "I love you. Once I fell in love with you, there have been no others."

"I know," said Kenna, struggling with her composure. "I love you, too." Tears began streaming down her face despite all her efforts.

"Our years together have been fruitful and rewarding," said Bash, reaching up to brush away her tears. "I couldn't have asked for a more supportive wife or a better family. I only wish that we had more time together."

"Me, too," said Kenna, swallowing her emotions. "Frank has gone to summon the others. At least he will want to say goodbye."

Bash smiled to conserve his breath.

"How will I live without you? asked Kenna, her eyes held his. "We've been married longer than not. You are my one constant in our ever changing world."

"You will and we will meet again," said Bash, searching her eyes. "Of that, I will assure you."

They spoke some more before Frank and some of the other children came to say goodbye. Bash slipped from this earth in the light of first dawn surrounded by loved ones. Later on that morning, her children urged Kenna to rest up for the days ahead. When she didn't appear for dinner, the servants found her in her bed, dead from grief, unable to live without her husband.

With their mother joining their father so soon, their children decided to ask the carpenter to build a coffin for two so that they may lay together for all eternity. At their joint funeral, Frank spoke of their marriage as one that evolved from an inauspicious start to one where one could not bear to live without the other.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. Thank you so much to my regular reviewers. Not sure what I would do without you. **Please post a word or two of your thoughts if you have a moment to spare.  
><strong>

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	14. N is for Naughty

**A/N:** Thank you for all the reviews and the note from _**disremember-me-please**_ on tumblr. I was flabbergasted to wake up the next morning to all those reviews. Thank you! So very sorry that this one is so short. No dialog makes the stories shorter, but I wanted to focus on actions not words in this chapter.

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**N is for Naughty**

Kenna woke to Bash's gentle kisses all over her face. When he finally reached her lips, she responded enthusiastically and deepened it quickly. Once he moved on to kissing her neck, Kenna asked, "Are we being naughty this morning?"

Bash's only responses were to moan against her pulse point and grind against her.

When Bash moved lower, Kenna sighed in pleasure, running her fingers through his bed-tousled hair, drawing her finely-manicured nails on his scalp, thoroughly enjoying the early morning tumble in bed.

Bash then kissed her inner thigh before moving on to her knee, caressing her calf as he kissed down her leg, to her ankles and finally down to her toes. He then repeated the performance down the other leg.

Once Bash was done, Kenna sat up and motioned for him to move to lie on his front. "My turn!" She then proceeded to kiss his neck while running her fingers through his hair. She was rewarded with Bash's sighs of contentment.

She then kissed his shoulders and shoulder blades, ensuring that she would cover every inch with kisses. She trailed kisses down his lower back and then down his backside while running her hands down his sides. Once she was done, she asked him to roll over and repeated it. Bash thoroughly enjoyed the rain of kisses all over his body. He yearned to become one with her but he was being patient.

When Kenna returned to kiss his lips, he took advantage and rolled them until she was on her back once more. They then worshipped one another's body to the ultimate conclusion.

Afterward, while they held one another to enjoy the afterglow from their pleasurable activities, limbs still entangled with one another, Kenna asked, "I was wondering what your thoughts were on roleplaying?"

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. **Please post a word or two of your thoughts if you have a moment to spare.  
><strong>

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	15. O is for Open

**A/N:** Thank you for the reviews. This chapter was originally intended to be a present fic, but this is what I'm hoping will be a future missing scene after KB resolves their differences after the Claude and Antoine fiascos from the spoilers.

**_Ripley:_** The continuation of the last chapter will have to go into the Master and Mistress of Horse and Hunt fic because it was hard enough write naughty without going straight into M territory. :D

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**O is for Open**

It started one night while they were lying in bed talking about their distinctive childhoods. This led to the subject of their adolescence and all that it entailed. From there, it moved to a discussion of sexual experiences. Bash finally opened up to her about what happened with Claude though Kenna already knew the basics. He also told her about the courtesan in Paris that Henry had arranged to teach him to be a man. He had just turned fourteen. When Henry had told him, Bash had been surprised since it was the only education that Henry had cared to bestow. The rest had all been arranged by his mother. The discussion then naturally led to Kenna's experience.

"As I said before, I know that not all of your prior experiences had been good," said Bash, caressing her arm.

"I didn't dare ask then," said Kenna, turning to glance at him. "But what do you know of my experiences with Henry?"

"I'd heard gossip that toward the end some of it involved a dead corpse," said Bash, looked elsewhere, unable to watch the flickers of pain that briefly danced across his wife's visage. "You don't have to tell me."

Kenna shifted until she was facing him. "You have been so kind and considerate to me with respect to this that I want to tell you. I've never told anyone the whole story, but as my husband and especially because I love you, I want to be open with you," She searched his eyes to look for disgust, finding none, she continued, "I want no secrets between us."

Bash nodded and took her hand in his to give her strength. Then Kenna started from the beginning from the first time she didn't resist Henry's advances until the time after they had been married that Bash stepped in to protect her from a mad king. At times, she had to pause to regain her composure, but she soldiered on to the end.

Wiping a stray tear, Kenna said, "And now you know why I was so hurt when you thought I had gone to Henry willingly after we had married."

Bash kissed her head. "I'm sorry I didn't know anything more than gossip. I'm grateful that you were comfortable sharing it."

Kenna leaned closer to Bash to gain a better sense of security after being so open.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. As you can see, I had to change the timing of this chat based on tonight's promo where Claude yells at Kenna that Bash and her had been lovers. **If you have a moment to spare, your review would mean the world to me.  
><strong>

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	16. P is for Protective

**A/N:** Thank you for all the lovely reviews. Reviews feed writers souls more than you can possibly know. :) This chapter is a future spec fic that I really wish would happen that has some minor angst in it.

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**P is for Protective**

"You must go to stay with my family in Bernay," said Bash. He had found Kenna talking with one of the servants near the throne room. "It's safer there. According to my cousins, the Protestant factions aren't nearly as strong or organized there. I've ordered a carriage to be made ready within the hour and I've had the servants start packing for you."

The Protestant riots in the villages surrounding the castle were getting more persistent and Bash feared outright war was imminent and with war comes famine. Even the castle can't protect anyone from famine.

"What about you?" asked Kenna, looking at her husband. "I won't go without you."

"I can't go," said Bash, taking her hands into his. "As the King's Deputy, I must remain to defend the castle."

"Then I'm not going," said Kenna, defiantly. "Where my husband is, I shall be by his side."

Bringing her around the corner into a more private hallway, Bash leaned in and lowered his voice. "If it were only you, I'd consider it, but I'm also thinking about the safety of our child." Kenna was newly pregnant. She had just told Bash two days ago, and they hadn't started sharing the news yet.

Realizing that Bash was right, Kenna started to tear up. They now had a child to consider. She moved one hand quickly to cover her mouth to stifle the sounds of her distress and then the other to cradle her still flat belly. Bash enveloped her in an embrace, hoping to bring comfort that would last their separation.

Once Kenna regained control of her emotions, she looked up at her husband. "How long will we have to be apart?"

"I don't know," said her husband truthfully, his eyes weary. "I'm praying that things will calm in time for you to return before your confinement. I'm hoping that while you're up there, I'll be able to visit on occasion. You know my cousin John already, so you'll be staying with him. I can trust him to introduce you to the others."

Kenna laid her head on his chest and breathed in his scent to memorize it. This may be the last private moment they have together for months to come and she wanted to remember all of it. The way he held her. The way he smelled. The warmth she felt where she touched him. She then looked up and kissed him so that she could remember the way he looked at her and the way he tasted when he kissed her. "I—We will miss you terribly."

"I will miss you both," said Bash, desperately wishing that he could protect them at the castle instead.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. As you may recall, Bash's cousin John is the same one from _**H is for**_** Holiday** that has also made appearances in my Kennash Bickering tumblr (kennashbickering . tumblr . com). **If you have a moment to spare, your thoughts are greatly appreciated.  
><strong>

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	17. Q is for Quiet

**A/N:** So sorry this is later than the two or three day time span. I've had a crazy busy work week. I worked all five days. I did one 12 hr day and another 10 hour one and I had some Christmas things to do. I am bushed! Next week I'm only working for a half day but I've got to get ready for Christmas which is just six days away! Thank you for your lovely review, MrsMargaret. You never fail me. :) This is a missing scene fic.

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**Q is for Quiet**

"A penny for your thoughts?" asked Bash, caressing her cheek. They had ridden out for a picnic by the river after Mass and once they had eaten, Kenna had become unusually quiet. They had been watching clouds earlier and dreaming of their future, but now she was lying down resting her head on his leg while he sat against a tree.

"I was just thinking of Pascal," said Kenna, glancing up at him. "I miss him sometimes."

"I know." He said looking down at her. "I often catch you looking wistful when you don't think anyone is watching."

_He always knows._ "I had great plans for him," she said quietly, looking away. "I imagined him as an excellent horseman or swordsman."

"I know you cared for him," said Bash, gently. "He is at peace now."

"He was so brave," said Kenna, barely above a whisper. "When the guards locked us in, he wouldn't let me touch him and asked me to stay in the alcove between the doors. He spoke to me for as long as he could." Tears streamed down her face and when she sat up, he enveloped her in an embrace.

"Shhhh." He gently rubbed circles on her back. Pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket, he handed it to her. "You did the best you could for him."

"But I couldn't comfort him in his last hours," she whispered, struggling to sit up and look at her husband. "I let him die alone. I wasn't worthy to be his guardian." Sobs wracked her slender frame.

"Don't say that. You were worthy." Bash placed his hands on both sides of her face. "Look at me, Kenna. If you had comforted him, you would have been infected and you would likely be dead now." Wiping her tears with his thumbs, he added, "What would I have done without you?"

Kenna search his eyes and saw the love for her in them. "I never thought about it that way." She sniffled. "I still feel poorly for not being able to do more."

Her husband pulled her against him. "I know, but I'm ever so glad you're still with me."

They then held one another in the quiet stillness until it was time to ride home.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. **Would love to hear from those of you who've followed this story, if you have a moment.  
><strong>

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	18. R is for Responsible

**A/N:** To make up for the lateness of the last chapter, this chapter is coming slightly earlier than usual. Thank you for your lovely reviews, _**TVDFan4Ever**_ and _**MrsMargaret**_. Your words inspire me. :) This is a future spec fic that highlights a different aspect of their marriage.

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.**R is for Responsible**

"Kenna?" Bash called out. "Where are my socks?" He was putting on his trousers. After a period of silence and the trouser buttons were fastened, he called again, "Kenna?"

His wife entered from a door next to the bed with their five-month old daughter in her arms. "What is it?"

"Where were you?" he asked, while he took a shirt from the wardrobe.

"Feeding Adela," she said, pulling a toy out of her pocket and handing it to the baby. "She's having a growth spurt so was hungrier than usual. What did you need?"

"I'm looking for my socks," said Bash, glancing at his wife and child while he pulled on his shirt. "Where are they?"

"In the drawers, where they always are," said Kenna, retrieving some socks.

Taking the socks from her, he said, "You didn't tell me that you put them in the second wardrobe."

"Before we moved two days ago, we'd agreed to move all your things into the new wardrobe," she said. "I was responsible for having them placed into the location we agreed upon and it was done. I'm sorry if you don't recall the agreement."

Now that Adela was old enough to sleep on her own, they had received a new suite of rooms in the castle that included two adjoining chambers to the main bedchamber for their expanding family.

"Yes, that's right," said the tired man with a sigh. "I'm sorry. I forgot. Between the Protestant uprisings and Adela's night wakings of late, I'm lucky I remember where our new rooms are located."

"I afraid I can't do much about the Protestants," said Kenna, smiling at her poor husband who was hastily completing his attire. "But Lola mentioned that the night wakings ought to curtail in the next few days, once the growth spurt is over. We're very lucky that Adela already sleeps through the night. I remember my mother commenting on my youngest brother's sleeping habits or lack there of."

"She's an angel," said Bash, leaning over to kiss his daughter. "As is her mother." He then kissed his wife. "I best go. Francis has called for a King's council over the latest uprisings for eight o'clock."

"What about breakfast?" she asked. "You really shouldn't go hungry." Reaching for the tray on the table, she took the plate of toast and offered it to him. "Have some toast at least to keep you until lunch."

"Alright," he said, taking two slices. "I suppose I can eat on the way there since it's still early. I'll see you at supper."

"We'll look forward to seeing you tonight," said Kenna. She then took the baby's arm and waved it at the departing figure. "Say bye-bye to Papa, Adela."

Adela laughed when her father closed the bedchamber door.

Kenna smiled at her little girl. "Now what were we up to before Papa called?"

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. **If you have a moment, please leave a review.  
><strong>

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	19. S is for Sentimental

**A/N:** Sorry for another late chapter. It has been a very busy last few days with family visiting. Thank you for all the lovely reviews and new follows! This is a head canon fic that gives a bit of history on Bash.

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**. Without whom, these chapters would be less coherent.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**S is for Sentimental**

Kenna was looking for something in their bedchamber when she came across a box containing a child-sized shirt with trousers of a similar size and a small pair of boots. "I wonder what this is?" The only label on the box read "S. Age 4". She was going to examine it more thoroughly, when Bash entered the room. Holding the shirt up, she turned to him. "What's this?"

One look and he recognized his childhood outfit. "Please put it back in the box." He had forgotten that his mother had sent it after she heard about his marriage.

"Why?" asked his wife, more curious by the minute. "What do you have against me looking at it?"

"Nothing," The man sighed. "It's a set of clothing that my mother kept from when I was a child. She thought we might have use for it after she heard we had been married."

"I think the clothes are darling," she said, taking a closer look. "I can just imagine little Sebastian running around the castle in this outfit." She glanced at him with a smile.

"Actually," said Bash, walking closer to the box to take a closer look. "We weren't living at the castle at the time. My mother had been out of favour for several years after an argument with the king and we had lived in Bernay with her family."

"I'm so sorry," said Kenna, automatically.

"Don't be," said her husband, looking at the small shirt and trousers. "My mother's family was—is well off. We wanted for nothing except for my father." He reached in the box to take one of the boots to examine.

"Still," said Kenna, feeling for young Bash. "It must have been difficult to have been taken away suddenly from a life that you knew."

"It is the lot of mistresses and bastards," said Bash, trying to brush aside the pain. "What I missed most were my playmates, Francis, Elisabeth and Claude. But we returned a few years later and it was as if we had never left." He replaced the boot in the box.

She placed back the cover. "What shall we do with this?"

"When I first received it, mere days after we wed," said he. "I thought my mother was having a laugh at my expense, but also in the box was the wedding ring I gave you and I've kept it since to remind me that though there are dark times, that they too shall pass and that I ought to persevere like my mother did in the years when we lived in Bernay."

"Since it holds such sentimental value," said Kenna, reaching for the ring on her finger. "Then we shall keep it in a place of honour."

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. **If you have a moment, I would love to hear what you have to say, even if it's a been a while since I posted the chapter. **Also if you haven't already, do check out my Christmas one-shot, **_Christmas Eve at the Estate_**, set a few years hence in the future.

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	20. T is for Tangled

**A/N:** Thought I post this chapter slightly earlier than in the past since I'm still on holidays. Thank you for all the lovely reviews, new follows and new favorite! This is a near future fic that I wish the show would give us.

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**. Without whom, these chapters would be much less coherent.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**T is for Tangled**

They woke the following morning deliciously tangled in the bedclothes and with one another. They had celebrated their first anniversary well into the night after an exquisite dinner in their bedchamber. The trail of dropped clothing told the story of where their celebration had started and where it had ended.

Kenna was quietly observing Bash sleeping when he surprised her and spoke without opening his eyes. "Did I not tire you out sufficiently last night, wife? We nearly broke the bed, again."

Now that he was awake, she moved to kiss her husband. "It's eleven o'clock in the morning." When she saw his puzzled look, she added, "I just counted the church bells I heard in the distance."

"I suppose we ought to start the day," said Bash, reluctantly. "Though I'd much rather remain here with you." He pulled her in for a sensual kiss.

When they broke the kiss, Kenna asked, "Do you have anything particularly pressing today?" Her finger drew a lazy pattern on his bare chest. "I am left to my own devices since Mary is away with Francis visiting the countryside, Greer is at the estate and Lola is too busy with a sick baby."

"Nothing that couldn't wait until tomorrow," said Bash, caressing her cheek with his hand.

Kenna moved to kiss his palm. "Good!" She then moved his hand down to brush across various parts of her body.

Bash searched her eyes and used his other hand to pull her in for another kiss. This one deepened quickly. The two of them desperately wanting the same thing, to tangle every part themselves, to entwine themselves, into one.

In the end, they didn't leave their bedchamber at all that day and instead continued to celebrate their anniversary and hoped to celebrate dozens more.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. **If you have a moment, I would love to hear from you, even if it's a been a while since I posted the chapter.**

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	21. U is for United

**A/N:** Thought I post this chapter slightly earlier than in the past since I'm still on holidays. Thank you for all the lovely reviews! This is a future spec fic featuring Kenna and Bash's two eldest children.

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**. Without whom, these chapters would be much less coherent.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**U is for United**

"Mama," said Frank, running up to Kenna. Being five, he had finally lost the gait of a toddler. "Nan said that I could go to Paris with her when she leaves."

"Did she now?" asked Kenna. Her mother-in-law was visiting again. The last time Diane had come she promised Adela, their eldest, the same thing but nothing came of it. "Let me speak with your father about this first."

"Alright, Mama," said Frank, who then ran off again.

* * *

><p>When they were getting ready for bed that night, Kenna brought up the issue. "Your mother promised Frank today he could go with her to Paris when she leaves. You remember what happened with Adela last time."<p>

"How can I forget?" said Bash with a sigh. "She cried for weeks and you were upset with me for months."

"I know that your mother used to promise you things but never followed through," she said, rolling her eyes. "We agreed not to raise our children that way."

"I know," said he, rubbing his eyes. "I know."

"What are you going to do about this?" asked his wife, looking pointedly at him.

He thought about it before he spoke. "We are going to speak with her after the children are in bed tomorrow night."

"We?" asked Kenna, raising an eyebrow. "She's your mother."

"I had already spoken to her about this when she left Adela behind last time, so it might be best if we presented a united front," said her husband, smiling to cajole. "She used guilt tactics with me alone, but she won't with you there and she won't think that you sent me against my will if you're there."

"Very well," she said. "Just don't side with her at any point of the conversation or you'll be sleeping in one of the guest rooms for the foreseeable future."

"Understood," he said with a sigh.

* * *

><p>Kenna returned to the dining room table after settling the baby.<p>

"I understand from Sebastian that you wish to speak with me about my promise to Frank," said Diane, looking at her daughter-in-law.

"We do," said the younger woman. Though their relationship thawed over the years, Diane de Poitier never forgot that Kenna was once a rival for Henry's affections. The mistress of the house sat down beside her husband and he took her hand in his in a gesture of solidarity. "Our concern is twofold. The first is that you promised Adela the same thing on your last visit and didn't take her and now you've promised Frank. She hasn't forgotten what happened last time and if you take Frank with you this time, she will think you don't love her at all."

Diane was about to start objecting when Bash looked at his mother and held up his other hand to enable Kenna to continue.

After a quick glance at her husband, she pushed on. "The second is that if you don't take Frank like you didn't take Adela last time, you will have successfully upset two of your grandchildren."

"Well, it would seem that I've already upset someone," said Diane, haughtily.

"No, mother," said Bash, looking pointedly at her. "We have concerns that we wish to address with you. We don't teach our children to forget promises."

Realizing that she was facing a united front, the older woman asked, "What would you have me do? I can't take both children with me."

"Why not?" asked her son. "You brought enough carriages to transport two extra small children and their things."

"What will I do with them if they want their parents at night?" asked Diane. "I have no plans to turn around once I leave."

"You can bring one of our nursery maids with you," said Kenna. "We'll be visiting Charles at court a few days after you depart and we can pick up the children along the way."

Diane considered her options. "Come to Paris three days later. I should be able to manage two children and their nursery maid for three days. Just don't expect that I'll take the younger children in the future."

"So long as you don't promise them," said Bash, glancing at his wife.

"Agreed," said Diane, rising from her chair. "I think it best that I retire for the night."

"Good night," said Kenna, looking from Bash to Diane.

Bash rose from his seat to kiss his mother on the cheek. "Good night, Mother. Sleep well."

After Diane left, Bash held out his hand for Kenna to take. "See what happens when we make a united front?"

His wife smiled in reply.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. **If you have a moment, please share whatever thoughts you might have, big or small. :) **Don't worry if it's been a while since I posted the chapter. I _always_ want to hear from my readers.

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	22. V is for Vanity

**A/N:** Since I return to work tomorrow and I'm catching my daughter's cold, I thought I would post this chapter early as well. This is a recent past, present and future spec fic. :)

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**, who was kind enough to suffer through so many chapters.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**V is for Vanity**

"Bash, what do you think of this dress?" asked Kenna, holding her latest purchase from Paris on her person.

Her husband looked up from the reference book he was reading for his research this week. "Looks lovely. What occasion is it for?"

"Is an occasion necessary?" she asked, glancing between her husband and the dress. "The fabric is so soft. The colours are so rich. The fabric called out to me."

"So when are you going to wear it?" he asked, amused.

"What do you mean when am I going to wear it?" she asked, puzzled.

"Well, it is an exquisite dress," said Bash, smiling at his wife. "For which I'm certain we paid a pretty penny. You must find a worthy occasion in which to show it off?"

"Hmmm," said Kenna, contemplating her husband's words. "I'll have to think on it."

* * *

><p>At first, she considered wearing it to the coronation, but decided against it after talking to Lola and Greer. This dress needed to be shown off in a situation where she was the center of attention. That would mean that they would have to host a grand party, but without an estate, that was proving difficult.<p>

Weeks, months, then years go by and on occasion when she was alone or sometimes when Bash was around, she would put the dress on and walk around their bedchamber to admire it. Finally, it wasn't until their daughter's christening that an occasion presented itself, but her body post-pregnancy had shifted. It wasn't that she was no longer slim and trim. In fact, her body had bounced back faster than she had expected. However, her body parts were no longer proportioned appropriately for the dress to fall nicely.

After complaining to Lola about this, her friend suggested a seamstress in the castle who could help her with refitting the dress to suit. When she procured an appointment, the woman warned her that there may be subtle shifts in the design to reproportion the dress since there was no extra material. Having no other choice if she wanted to wear it now, Kenna agreed. When the dress was returned several days later, she tried it on and to her surprise it fit perfectly. It looked as if she had never been pregnant, which was definitely not the case since the evidence of it was currently wailing at her from the bassinet beside the bed.

Later that night, after the baby was asleep, Kenna examined the dress in more detail. There were very subtle changes. The skirt was less full, but in trimming the width, the overall effect had been slimming. There were small darts added to the bodice that accommodated her fuller breasts from nursing. Since this dress was so well done, Kenna decided there and then that she would send her favourite dresses that no longer fit to see what wonders this seamstress could wrought from them.

* * *

><p>While they walked through the steps of their dance during the banquet in celebration, Bash whispered, "I'm happy you were finally able to showcase this dress. I know you love it so and wanted to find the perfect occasion, but I thought you complained that this dress didn't fit anymore?" He had taken their daughter to the chapel after they were both dressed for the ceremony while Kenna dressed last. So this was their first opportunity at a private conversation.<p>

"It didn't." Kenna turned and swayed. "Then someone Lola recommended worked her magic."

"It looks lovely." Bash lifted her in the air. "I can't wait to take it off of you."

Then they separated to repeat the moves with a different partner with Kenna grinning through the remainder of the dance.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. **If you have a moment to spare, a review would be greatly appreciated. **Don't worry if it's been a while since I posted the chapter. I _always_ want to hear from my readers. :)

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	23. W is for Worthy

**A/N:** Knock on wood. So far I've only developed a mild form of my daughter's cold. Thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows. They are all much appreciated. This is the longest of the fics, but I couldn't figure out how to cut it short to fit the 300-700 word limit. After the Kenna-centric fic last time, here's a Bash-centric fic in a style slightly different than the others.

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**, who was kind enough to suffer through so many chapters.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**W is for Worthy**

"_You don't need your father's name or to slay every dragon to be worth something." ~ Kenna, Slaughter of Innocence_

All his life, Bash had been told that he was worthless by those around him. At the insistence of his father's wife, his father never claimed him, though both he and his mother lived at the castle by his father's grace rather than relegated to some distant village where a number of the King's former mistresses and their bastards lived or sent to Bernay where his mother's family lived.

He spent his life trying to remain in father's good graces. He learned to ride well because his father complimented his seat once. He learned archery because his father commented that all men should learn to use a bow. He excelled in swordplay when his father wanted a sparring partner. He exhibited precociousness since it earned his father's praise. In the end, his father forced him to marry one of his father's own mistresses.

Still, marriage was a serious business because his parents never did wed, and he felt the resultant scorn from everyone who knew who and what he was. He did gain a title out of it at the urging of his new bride, though with no land or wealth attached, she didn't think much of it.

When his mother heard, she sent him a ring that once belonged to her mother. Originally, he resisted giving it to his new wife, especially when his father bragged about finding her in his bedchamber at her own volition, though she insisted it was at Mary's request on behalf of their country and that no sex was involved. However, when he saw her at Henry's mercy in the throne room, he understood better what she faced and how helpless she was in the face of a man who was king.

After he rescued her from the King, he decided to give her the ring his mother sent to start a new beginning and that was the turning point. Soon thereafter, she kept him from overreacting when his father's latest mistress seized it for herself. She then gained a second ring from Catherine along with an estate for helping rid his father of his new mistress. Then, they shared their first kiss. Not long afterward, they finally consummated their marriage.

From there on in, he found he had a willing and equal partner in nearly every aspect of his life. Every gesture was reciprocated in some manner. She managed his affairs and household. He managed to keep her out of sight of the king when he was home. She taught him to dance. He taught her to ride. He would help her with her friends. She would help him gain information from a young boy who eventually became their ward for a short time.

In the days, sometimes weeks away hunting the beast known as The Darkness, he began to find that he missed bickering with her and the comfort and warmth of her at night. Though he was steadfast in his hunt, there were moments when he longed to be home, longed to be with her. He knew that he was falling in love.

When he broke his promise to take her to their new home, she was terribly upset with him, though he was the one breaking the promise, he was upset, too, for having to do it, for having to leave her. He counted himself fortunate when she tried to understand him and went with their ward instead. Then in his quest, he discovered that by leaving the boy he found with her, he had unwitting lead The Darkness to her. He was never more relieved as when he was able to kill the man who was The Darkness before he was able to harm his wife.

Then he discovered when he returned to the castle that his father had been mortally wounded in a jousting accident earlier in the day. He prayed that he would have the chance to see Henry once more before he died. Alas, that was not to be. Just as he reached the corridor leading to his father's chambers, he found his younger, legitimate brother walking out being declared the King. Upon seeing that, he realized that he needed to swear fealty to his new ruler. As Francis approached, he started to kneel down, but before he could, his brother lifted him up and pulled him into an embrace. King Francis II needed his big brother first and foremost in this time of grief.

After determining that his brother was fit to turn to the business of being King, he needed to find some place to think. Though his brother had shown him what he needed now, Bash could not be sure that there would be a place at court for him and his family in the longer term. It was a new reign and things change as a new ruler makes his mark. As the bastard son of a dead king, he no longer had a place. Thank God for the estate that Kenna earned for them. They could at least live their lives out there should his brother and his wife find him cumbersome.

It was while he was wallowing in these melancholy thoughts when his wife found him. After offering her condolences, she reminded him of his worth to her and to the world. It was the first time someone had spoken of him and worth in the same breath. She valued him and he was enough for her. It was then that he knew he loved her with all his heart and with his next breath he professed it. What he didn't expect was for Kenna to return it. What a miracle!

If the stars hadn't fallen, he knew that he would have held her and whispered sweet nothings to her ear all night. Her words had been that intoxicating. He knew in the days ahead, he needed to show her what she meant to him and prove the worth she saw in him.

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. **If you have a moment to spare, please let me know. It would make my day! **Don't worry if it's been a while since I posted the chapter. I _always_ want to hear from my readers. :)

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	24. X is for Xanadu

**A/N:** Thank you for your review, _**MrsMargaret**_. Sorry this is so late. I just realized that too many days have gone by without a post. This is a possible past or present fic and meant to be much longer and full of fluff. X is always hard to do for an alphabet fic.

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**, who was kind enough to suffer through so many chapters.

**Xanadu:** An idealized place of great or idyllic magnificence and beauty.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**X is for Xanadu**

"Where are we going?" asked Kenna. "You must tell me." It was dusk of the second day of their journey and they were in a carriage heading to where they would spend their delayed honeymoon.

"Trust me," said Bash, remaining mysterious.

"You've been saying that since we left your mother's," said his wife, eager to know where they would be spending the next week.

"Don't you trust me?" he asked teasingly.

"I do!" Kenna gave him a look. "But the surprise is going to do me in."

Bash smiled when they pulled into a clearing and knocked on the carriage roof to stop for the view. "There it is." He pointed at a large, elegant home well-situated behind a lake with what would be a beautifully manicured lawn if it wasn't currently covered with freshly fallen snow. By the light of the full moon, the scene felt magical.

When Kenna saw what he was pointing to, her jaw dropped. Though significantly smaller than the castle, it was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. When she recovered her senses, she asked, "What is this place?"

He smiled at her obvious delight. "It's a chateau that belongs to my mother's family. I was able to arrange for the use of it with my cousin."

"It's beautiful," said Kenna, turning and smiling at her husband.

"Are your ready to drive on and see the house?" he asked, thrilled that she liked the place he picked.

She nodded eagerly.

Bash knocked on the carriage roof to drive on. Before long, the carriage pulled up to the front entrance where two servants waited for them to descend from the carriage and approach to open the magnificent front doors.

When they neared, the servants opened the door to reveal the rest of the household staff standing at attention, waiting for them to arrive. Once inside, two servants they had not seen came up beside them silently and took their outerwear.

The butler then walked forward and bowed. "Welcome to Chateau Saint Vallier! Or as the current master likes to call it, Xanadu."

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. There's still a whole week left to write about in this fic, but I couldn't make it so long that it's completely disproportionate to the rest of it, so I had to cut it at the first part that made sense. I will be adding to it. Please review, if you have a moment.

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.

Each chapter will be posted 2-3 days after the last one. To see the list of words associated with the alphabet, please check out my tumblr: scarletcourt . tumblr . com (removing all the spaces).


	25. Y is for Yearning

**A/N:** Thank you for the lovely reviews! Sorry this is so late. Work has been crazy of late. This is a past missing scene fic.

Many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**, who was kind enough to suffer through so many chapters.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**Y is for Yearning**

Kenna was sitting with Mary and the other ladies-in-waiting in Mary's room chatting like the old days when her mind drifted to Bash. He had been away for several weeks now putting down a protestant uprising in Champagne. She missed his presence in their bed at night. She missed taking her meals with him. She missed checking on how he looked before he left the bedchamber every morning. She missed him.

"Kenna!" said Mary, smiling. "You're miles away."

"She's just thinking of Bash," Greer teases. "He's been quelling the protestants in Champagne for two weeks now and she misses him."

A blush bloomed on Kenna's face and she decided to ignore Greer. "I'm sorry, Mary. What were you asking?"

"We were talking of the nobles who have come to court of late and the fashions they bring," said Mary. "I was hoping that all of us could go on an excursion to Paris and was wondering what you thought. I need a diversion and a few days in the city should be just the thing."

"I'm for a visit to the city," said Kenna eagerly. "When were you planning for us to go?"

"The Spanish Ambassador is arriving tomorrow for a week long visit," said Mary, looking around at her ladies. "But Francis is planning to schedule the trade negotiations to the end of the visit, so I was thinking of going when those negotiations start."

"Will you mind if I were to bring the baby and his nanny?" asked Lola. "I've not been away overnight from John before and I'm still nursing."

"Of course," said Mary. "We can pinch his chubby cheeks when he's awake."

Before Lola could thank Mary, there was a knock at the door.

"I wonder who that could be?" asked Mary. Speaking a little louder, Mary called out. "Come in!"

The door opened and Bash appeared from the other side of the door. "Your Grace. My apologies for the interruption, but I was wondering if I might have a word with my wife." Bash looked only at Kenna when he spoke, which was very poor form of him, but he didn't care. He hadn't seen her in nearly a month and he was drinking in her features.

Kenna desperately wanted to run over to Bash but protocol that had been drilled into her since birth made her wait for Mary's response. But nothing kept her from beaming at Bash.

Seeing the way Bash and Kenna look at one another, Mary knew that he would want more than a word. "Go to your husband, Kenna," said Mary with a grin. "I have no need of your services for the remainder of the day."

Kenna quickly glanced at Mary. "Thank you, Mary! I'll see you tomorrow." Without another word, she nearly sprinted to her husband.

* * *

><p>Once they were out of the room, she asked, "How are you home so early? Your last letter said that it would be a week yet before you could return."<p>

"The uprising was subdued earlier than expected," said Bash, barely looking at where they were going. "I thought coming home was better than writing another letter."

"I'm so glad you're here," said Kenna with tight grip on his arm. "I've missed you so much."

Bash leaned down to whisper into her ear. "I can't wait to spend the day in bed."

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. Just one more to go and then we'll head off to the continuation stories. :) Please let me know what you think.

If anyone is interested in a continuation of any of these chapters, please let me know as some had to be ended rather abruptly to keep to the word count limit. I will start posting those after the end of this fic.


	26. Z is for Zenith

**A/N:** Thank you for your reviews, favorites, and follows throughout this anthology. It has been a wonderful journey that must come to an end. This is a future spec fic. I wanted end the anthology by showing Kenna and Bash at the peak of their prosperity in life, love and wealth. Not that it doesn't continue, but this is the start. I'm expecting their eldest, Adela, to be about 12 1/2 at this particular time.

Many, many thanks to my beta, **_Tripp3235_**, who read through all the chapters to make sure they made sense.

**Zenith: **The strongest or most successful period of time.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. All Reign characters belong to Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie Sengupta and The CW. I'm just playing with them.

**Z is for Zenith**

"I want to thank everyone for coming today," said Bash at the front of the gathering with Kenna by his side. "I also wanted to thank my wife for organizing this wonderful celebration." He turned to smile at her before continuing. "We are honoured that each of you are able to share this day with us. As most of you know, our marriage started rather inauspiciously, but we persevered, found love and here we are on our fifteenth wedding anniversary celebrating with our friends, family and neighbours. I could not have asked for a better marriage partner in that time." Bash leaned over to give his wife a kiss to the hoots and hollers of those gathered. "Let the celebrations begin!"

There was cheering and clapping in the crowd before it started to disperse. Bash picked up a goblet of wine each for him and Kenna from a table nearby and toasted her privately before moving around to greet their guests.

When it was all over and all the nearby guests had returned home, while the guests from distant places were all settling in, Bash found Kenna, in her cloak, out on the balcony from their bedchamber just looking out on their estate. Various things still littered the south lawn from the celebrations that day. A few servants were still working even now to pick it all up. He knew that this was his wife's favorite spot in the entire house and possibly the entire estate. Everything as far as the eye could see was theirs. They had worked hard together to achieve this prosperity and they had brought their two eldest children here and four others had join them since.

"That went off remarkably well," said Bash when he walked onto the balcony after putting on a cloak to ward off the chill in the air. It was early spring in the south of France and the nights were much colder than the days.

"Bash!" Kenna turned and smiled at her husband of fifteen years. "Come closer so you can warm me up."

He chuckled and wrapped his cloak and his arms around his wife. "You're freezing!" He lowered his head until he was cheek to cheek with her. "Why are you out here if you're so cold?"

She leaned her cheek against his and snuggled against him. "I wanted to watch the servants to ensure that they picked up everything. They're almost done. I came out here after tucking all the children in."

"And you didn't think to dress warmly enough?" He kissed the top of her ear.

"I actually didn't think they would take this long." She turned to look at him. "But I think that most of them are still washing the dishes and tidying the kitchens and the house. Besides if I were warm, would I have a loving husband wrapped around me?"

"If you wanted me to hold you, all you need to do is ask," said Bash looking his beautiful wife. "I'd gladly wrap my arms around you any time." He leaned in and kissed her cold cheek.

"Hmmmm," she said. "Maybe I ought to ask more often."

"Maybe you should." He closed his eyes to savour the moment.

After a few minute, when the last of the servants were heading in, she nudged him. "Shall we head inside?"

He straightened up and held out his hand. "Let us head in."

Taking his hand, she said, "Thank you for keeping me warm." Her grateful smile lit up her entire face.

Once inside, he pulled her into an embrace. "Happy Anniversary, wife. You've made me the happiest man on earth. I love you beyond measure."

"Happy Anniversary, Bash," said Kenna, searching his eyes and only seeing love. "I love you so very much."

They then closed the gap between them and kissed.

**The End!**

**A/N2:** Thank you for reading. Let me know what you thought of this particular chapter or the anthology as a whole. **If you've not had a chance to review before, I'd love to hear your thoughts long or short.**

Now I've got to start working on the continuations. See you at _**More Scenes from a Marriage**_ shortly. :)


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